


Welcome To The Casino, Boys!

by FireRuby1016



Series: Bad Brothers [1]
Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Bad Brothers Part 1, Lackeys - Freeform, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2019-11-28 18:51:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18212222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireRuby1016/pseuds/FireRuby1016
Summary: Mugman and Cuphead are the cup brothers.The most feared duo in Inkwell.Lackeys of Timothy and King Dice.Read as their personalities and lives change forever.In the upcoming fanfiction...Welcome To The Casino, Boys!





	1. Intro

**13:00**

**Kettle’s Home**

 

The kettle didn’t eat.

Nor sleep.

Nor move.

Nor blink.

 

The kettle’s eyes were fixed on the door.

 

Elder Kettle sat in his rocking chair and stared at the door.

 

He'd been like that ever since he was told by someone that his boys had handed out the soul contracts to Timothy. They were his henchmen now and they aren't allowed to visit the kettle ever again unless Timothy says they can.

 

Ever since then, he's been staring at a door that won't open up ever again to his sweet, reckless and heroic boys.

 

They were demons.

They weren't his boys anymore.

They would do unspeakable things.

They were dead to love, joy, compassion, heroism, and fun.

 

But no matter how many times he thought this, his body wouldn't move. His eyes wouldn't blink. And worst of all, he couldn't stop the smallest flicker in his soul of hope that his boys would return.

 

**In the Casino**

 

Cuphead and Mugman were sitting on the floor of a dark room, the only light coming from underneath the door. They were in a soundproof room. The room was cold so they huddled together but they still shivered. Not from the cold but from the fear of what they'd become.

 

They both stared at the door. The boys didn't look at each other. Their red eyes were enough for them to see that they weren't just cups anymore. Their sharp teeth and claws were evidence of that as well.

 

The door opened with an unnaturally bright light. They shielded their eyes and they heard the silhouette say,

 

“Follow me, boys. The Boss wants to talk to you both in private.”

 

The boys stand up slowly, hands twitching but walking out of the door in silence. Green eyes watch them closely as they walk and a grinning smile tells them where to go. The boys follow the instructions and don't talk to each other, the workers or at the piercing laughter.

 

Terribly, after ten minutes of walking, they arrived at Timothy's office. Dice knocked on the door and was met with a gruff voice saying, “Come in ya brats!”.

 

Dice opened the door and as the boys stepped all the way into the office, the door slammed shut. They jumped in unison and as Timothy guffawed at their jumpiness, he motioned for them to sit down. They followed the unspoken order. He lit a cigar and grinned, showing a gold tooth.

 

“Boys, how about a ’nother deal?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Kettle is depressed. The boys are frightened. Timothy has their souls.  
> "'nother deal?'"  
> This can only get better.


	2. Timothy's Office

**13:11**

**Timothy’s Casino**

 

“No!”, the cup brothers firmly said to Timothy but instantly covered their mouths.

His eyes narrowed and they both stared up at him with fearful eyes. He blew a large puff of smoke at their cups and they coughed violently.

He started to explain to the little cups ‘the problem’, as he put it.

 

“How do you think the kettle would react if he saw you like this? How would he react to you now that you've given me all the soul contracts, including your own? The rest of the world is so cruel. They would never allow beings of your”, he pauses, blows a cloud of smoke to the side and smirks at them, “nature to work alongside them.”

 

They look at him with hatred and disbelief for the first time since entering his office. They couldn't look that bad. They were still the same cups. Elder Kettle wanted them back. They may look a little different but he wouldn't hate them!

 

……..Right?

 

“Having doubts, are ya? Well then, I wish to show you something.”

 

Timothy ordered them to get off the chair, close their eyes and stand at the door. His footsteps got distant for a couple of seconds and then they heard him grunting as his heavy footsteps were coming back.

 

**_Thump!_ **

 

The sound of a heavy object being set on the floor was heard right in front of them. Their eyes shot open and they could see themselves in all the horrific details.

Their shark-like teeth, tiger-like claws, crimson pupils and black scleras were evidence of not being the little cups they once were. They were monsters and their souls belonged to Timothy.

 

Cuphead raises his arm to the mirror, charging his finger to shoot it when Mugman grabs his brother's arm and pinned him against the door with surprising strength.

Mugman hisses at his brother and covers his mouth in shock. His eyes start tearing up and his legs give out. Cuphead holds his brother tight and lets him cry into his shoulder, while his eyes burn with hatred at Timothy. Cuphead is trembling in guilt and sadness.

Timothy is smirking at them. He goes around his desk and as he gets closer, Cuphead raises his finger-gun and shots at Timothy's head. Timothy easily dodges the blast and the three shaky ones after. Cuphead’s eyes are blinded by tears as he clings to his brother’s shirt.

A knock is heard at the door and the elder demon gets the door. King Dice walks in, the sound of the door closing and chuckling is heard soon afterward. Silence falls over the powerhouses when they put a soundproof barrier around themselves.

 

“They seem really weak for potential workers, Boss. Are you sure you want them?”, Dice voiced to his superior, slightly worried about the current situation.

 

“They’ll be fine, Dice. We’ll have to break their minds first of course. ’Sides, you said it yourself, ‘They are mighty strong’ and you are correct. They're fucking incredible! They defeated the debtors, the casino workers and you in one fell swoop! How old are the brats anyway?”, Timothy voiced back to his right-hand man.

 

“They are both 14 years old, sir. Also, we won’t have to worry about breaking their minds as much as you think. We did sort of force ’em to beat up their friends after all”, the die replied with an evil smirk on his face, showing his shark teeth slightly before adding under his breath, “I at least tried to kill them. You being intimidating means you don’t have to fight as much!”

 

Timothy says threateningly, “What did you say, Dice? I wanna hear what you have to say. Speak. Again.”

“I at least tried to kill them. You being intimidating means you don’t have to fight as much!”, Dice says in an annoyed tone.

“Ha! You’re ridiculous to think I wanted you to kill them. They are extremely useful for our expansion plan! We just have to get them on our side first!”, Dice looks at him with an eyebrow raise as Timothy says, “I have a plan. Don’t worry, Dice everything is going exactly to plan.”

They both nod and turn their attention back to the brats as they are calming down. Cupface is glaring up at them and the mug is looking up in fear. Timothy smirks, showing a gold fang, while Dice has a smug look on his face as they look down at the brats. The soundproof barrier disappears.

“Now that you’re done bawling like little babies in a crib, are you prepared to listen to our deal?”, Dice says in a threatening tone.

 

The brats nod in silent agreement, shaking violently with tears still in their eyes.

Dice takes a step forward and says, “You two are insanely powerful brats. We’ll give you that. Hell, you even defeated me”, he glares and his smug grin wides as he says, “It is beginner's luck though. You defeated my weak ass workers before me so it gave you an edge and some undeserved confidence. Too bad you were too scared to fight Timothy. You gave away the soul contracts, including your own, so now you two brats have another deal to make.”

 

“You work for us and the residents of Inkwell are safe from our wrath”, said Timothy, “Go back to the Kettle and the residents’ souls will belong to us.”

 

Cupface and Mugbutt glare up at them and open their mouths to retort when Timothy grabs their tongues roughly. He grins widely, showing a sharp gold tooth in either side of his mouth as he says, “Demon got your tongue, boys? Such a shame too. Dice wanted to hear you SPEAK!”

As the brats look at him, he chuckles maniacally as he tugs at their tongues a little harder, earning whimpers and a few more tears flowing freely from their sockets. Their eyes show pain, hatred, and fear as he lets their tongues go.

Cuphead glares at him with defiance and opens his mouth when a gloved hand covers it. He turns his head quickly and his red pupils dilate at the sight of his brother.

 

Mugman’s crimson pupils have a glow to them and his feet are hovering slightly above the ground. He opens his mouth and says, “Leto gi” as he pushes past the most powerful creatures in Inkwell. He looks back and repeats it with force at his brother. Cuphead gets up and follows his brother out of the office door, looking back as he does so.

King Dice and The Devil don't look mad. They look…….impressed? The Devil smirks at him and points ahead of Cuphead. Cuphead looks forward, finding that his brother is his face and glaring daggers at the powerhouses in the office doorway. Mugman takes Cuphead’s hand roughly and starts to lead them out of the Casino.

The casino is busy rebuilding from the battle against them. The walls are getting replastered, the tables are being repaired and creatures are being put on stretchers left and right. Cuphead cringes at the death stares that they receive from the hurt workers. Many of them tried to get up to wallop them again but ended up hurting themselves worse in the process.

Mugman scoffed at them calling them ‘pitiful’ as he focused on getting himself and Cuphead to Elder Kettle’s home. He made a quick glance here and there at the broken workers but otherwise kept his eyes straight in front of him.

 

Cuphead, meanwhile, couldn't take his eyes off the workers. He felt the anger, resentment and broken pride from all of them. His soul ached at the negative energy directed at him.

As they got to the entrance of the casino, they heard voices call out ‘dastard’ and ‘hellion’ at their backs. The only indication Cuphead got that his brother was bothered by the names was his brother's claws were digging into his glove.

When they get on the other side of the tracks, Mugman rounds on Cuphead and yells, “Are ya proud of yourself, Cup?! Who am I kidding? You're probably loving this!”

 

Cup starts saying, “Mugs, please I-”

 

“Well, in any case, drink it up! Drink up your greed while you still can because once we get home to Elder Kettle”, he jesters to him and his brother wildly, “all of this will be gone!”

 

Cuphead tries to say, “Mugman!”, but is being overshadowed by his irritated brother’s voice.

 

“‘Hey Mugs! Why don't we go into that Casino on the other side of the train tracks? It's ok, Elder Kettle will never know. We’ll gamble three times and then leave. It’ll be fine!’”, yells Mugman with a mocking tone.

 

Cuphead punches his brother’s handle. **Hard.**

 

**_Crack!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys. Long hiatus. I had to revamp the story.
> 
> Cliffhanger. You’re welcome!!
> 
> Look to the future.


	3. Uh Oh...

**13:28**

**Outside of Timothy's Casino**

 

Mugman grabs his handle in pain and cries out. Cuphead scoffs while crossing his arms over his chest, looking down at his brother with annoyance. Mugs pupils dilate as he slowly lifts his hand off his handle and points directly above Cuphead.

“Where do you think you’re going?”, said a gruff, demonic voice behind him. Sharp claws grab his shoulders and gloved fingers tie his wrists together.

“Mugs!”, cries out Cuphead to his brother. A clawed foot suddenly pushes him down on the ground. He twists his head to the left quickly as his cup makes an impact with the ground. Pain is what he feels and he has cracked vision in his left eye. Mugman stares at his brother in horror as he steps back.

Dice greets him with gloved claws on his shoulders. Mugman proceeds to stomp on the die’s left foot and is earned a hard push to the ground. He turns his head to the right quickly and he cries out in pain. 

 

_**Crack!** _

 

He feels rope tighten around his ankles and wrists. He feels himself being made to sit up. He bares his sharp teeth from the pain of the ropes creating micro-cracks in his porcelain. He looks up in hatred and spits on Timothy’s smug face, disregarding his brother’s warning. Timothy simply said with a wicked smile, “My turn!”, and teleported away.

2 minutes later, Timothy teleports back and when the porcelain brothers’ pupils dilate, a grin spread wider across his face.

“Let go of Elder Kettle, Now!”, the brothers yelled at Timothy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Elder Kettle has been pulled into this mess. Fuck everything...


	4. Deal Or No Deal?

**13:30**

**Outside Of The Casino**

 

The porcelain brothers struggle in their bonds, creating more micro-cracks in their ankles and wrists. Mugman’s head is boiling over in anger and resentment at Timothy. Cuphead’s dilated pupils never leave Elder Kettle’s shaking form. A light breeze rustling the leaves and the small cracking sounds from porcelain are seemingly deafening, compared to the silence that surrounds the four creatures.

 

“Deal?”, asks Timothy to Mugman.

 

“Fuck no! No more deals ever again! Untie us right fucking now!!”, Mugman shouts at Timothy as the lemonade in his head sprays from his straw, high into the air. The lemonade falls back into his mug and starts boiling instantly. Timothy looks at him with amusement and interest.

 

King Dice asks Cuphead the same thing. Cuphead looks to his brother and finds him staring daggers at his head. He instantly shakes his head no. King Dice looks at him with annoyance and contempt.

Timothy smiles evilly as he teleports a demonic-looking dagger into his left hand. He places the dagger onto Elder Kettle’s handle gently. He slowly carves an intricate pattern with the dagger. Elder Kettle immediately starts screaming as pain courses through his veins. He struggles uncontrollably until the dagger is placed against his spout.

 

“Stop! Please Mr. Timothy, please stop ‘urting ‘im!”, yells Cuphead as tears poured from his right eye, “I don’t want anybody else to get hurt because of me!”

 

The guilt from Cuphead hit King Dice and he instantly had the urge to loosen the ropes. He fought it though. It would mean torture for the cup and even though he hated his guts, he would never want anyone to suffer through the shit that got him here. He instead asked, “Deal?”, in a calm tone to Cuphead. Cuphead looked at him for about twenty seconds and shook his head.

 

“No fucking way!”, was Mugman’s response to the question. The dagger instantaneously sliced upward, cutting the spout clean off. As it hits the ground, the sound of porcelain shattering rang through the air like a missile reaching its target. Elder Kettle’s scream was best described as pure anguish that traveled all across Inkwell. Cuphead couldn’t stop looking from the spout to Elder Kettle and back again. Mugs was right. If he had not been so fucking greedy, none of this would be happening. Elder Kettle would be safe and happy. He and Mugs wouldn’t be demons. The debtors would have gotten away as they dreamed. None of this shit should be happening but it is. Just because he started winnin’ something that only happened in his dreams. His tears turned into sobbing and when King Dice stepped forward, the only thing he could do was a nod. King Dice said through clenched sharp teeth, “I need to hear you say it.”

 

“Cuphead! I swear to the clouds above, if ya say yes to Dice, I’ll kill ya in your sleep!”, screams Mugman at his brother in pure rage. There was no fucking way he’s gonna say yes! He already ruined our lives with the last deal and now because of him AGAIN, we’ve been turned into demons! If he had just listened to me the first time, none of this would be happening. The debtors would have been someone else’s debt to pay. We would be in Elder Kettle’s house. Not watching him be tortured! I’m never following his plans or ideas ever again. Stubborn, stupid, impulsive, greedy, troublemaker, oh the list could go on for days! No matter what happens, I’m saying no.

 

“Your brother has a brain, Mugman! Let him make the decision for himself. Besides, both of ya have to say yes”, says Timothy.

 

Mugman chuckles a little as he says, “Wait! Ya think I’m actually going to say yes? How dumb are ya!?”

 

Timothy plunges the dagger into Elder Kettle’s right eye and twists it agonizingly slowly. Porcelain cracks are heard as the eye is slowly wrenched from its socket. Only pained whimpers come from Elder Kettle’s strained voice. Cuphead swiftly turns his head 180 degrees to the left. Looking at his brother as he says through sobs, “I will work in the Casino and in turn, you will leave the residents alone. You have a deal, Mr. King Dice.” King Dice felt immense sympathy for the cup. He couldn’t watch his grandpa get tortured anymore. In reality, Dice couldn’t blame him either.

Never taking his eyes off Timothy, Mugman responded in a bitter tone, “You are not my brother then.” Cuphead turned his head back to Elder Kettle and chuckled a little as fresh tears filled his eyes. The eye was on the ground now, with a light dusting of dirt on top of it. It had a small pool of blood around it as well. The pupil was facing the sky and Cuphead found it poetic as well as fitting. Elder Kettle always said ‘to reach for the moon but don’t forget to gaze at the stars along the way’. Cuphead found himself smiling a little as the tears continued to flow from his right eye. Mugman, on the other hand, was looking at Timothy in shock.

 

“You fucking bastard! You cut out his eye. What the fuck is wrong with you!?”, remarks Mugman as he looks at the dislodged eye on the ground in horror.

 

“You can stop it, Mugman. You only have to say yes and you can end his suffering”, Timothy said simply. In reality, Timothy didn’t care if the torture stopped. In fact, he loved torturing, no matter if the creature deserved or not. He was waiting for the fire in Mugman’s eyes to die.

 

Cuphead shouted, “Say it! Say it now!”, as he continued to stare at the eye already on the ground.

 

“Not happening”, replied Mugman through clenched teeth.

 

Timothy plunged his dagger into Elder Kettle’s left eye and slowly dislodged it from the socket, as he did the first. Pained whimpers are Elder Kettle’s response to the pain. The eye falls to the ground with a soft squish sound and bounces twice before landing with its pupil facing upward.

 

“Say yes”, Cuphead said while looking at the new eye on the ground. Dice shivered but it wasn’t from a breeze. Cuphead always had a fire lit in his soul but right now, he sounded dead. It made him dangerous, untrustworthy and unpredictable. His early childhood taught him one thing, every creature needs feelings, lest they become unstable.

 

“N-never”, stammered Mugman, while tears formed in his eyes.

 

The elder demon dropped Elder Kettle on the ground and pulled a large purple and black hammer out of a dark red portal. It had black spikes either end of the hammer itself and a black handle to match. Cuphead shouted at the stubborn mug, “SAY YES!”, as the hammer came crashing down on Elder Kettle’s leg, shattering it instantly.

 

“Stop it! Stop hurting Elder Kettle! Please!!”, yelled Mugman as tears streamed down his face.

 

“Say yes. It’s all ya have to do”, says Timothy with the wicked smile still plastered on his face, showing his signature gold fangs.

 

Mugman glares at the hammer and shakes his head. Cups is about to scream again when the hammer comes down on Elder Kettle’s other leg. Mugman shakes his head slowly as tears spill out of his eyes. Without missing a beat, the hammer slams down on both of Elder Kettle’s arms in unison.

 

“SAY YES!!!!”, shouts both Cuphead and Dice in unison.

 

As the hammer makes its way to Elder Kettle’s body, Mugman realizes that his escape is gone. As the sounds of porcelain shattering pierce the air, he finally says, “I will work in the Casino and in turn, you will leave the residents alone. You have a deal, Mister Timothy.”

 

Cuphead is released from the ropes first and he’s held back by Dice as he screams, “I may ‘ave sold our souls to Mister Timothy but you caused Elder Kettle to die! Stupid, ungrateful, unforgiving piece of s’it!!” When Mugman scoffs, Cuphead starts laughing. Soft at first but progressively getting louder as he keeps laughing. Mugman backs up as he sees Cuphead’s pupils disappear completely. Dice almost loses his grip from the insane energy coming off of Cuphead. After a few minutes of insane laughing, Cuphead falls limp in Dice’s grip.

Dice carries him to his new bed and glares at Mugman. The latter flinches to the former’s satisfaction. Dice walks out of the room, glad that they have a piano still functioning.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck everyone and everything.  
> Who do you think is right in their reasoning: Cuphead or Mugman?


	5. Down Time

**14:00**

**The Casino**

 

Dice heads to the piano, cracking his fingers and knuckles on the way. He knew the song by heart but he had to play something. Today was a fucked up day for the cup brothers and he needed a moment of calm. The Casino had closed down early today and it’s quiet as a mouse.

 

Cuphead is on top of his new bed. Sitting there, staring at the wall and still in his torn and dirty clothes. His head is empty with nothing but his soul.

 

Dice crosses through the orchestra pit to the piano. He pulls the seat out from under it and sits down, careful not to sit on his flaps. He positions his hands above the keys, closes his eyes and starts to play. After about ten seconds of playing, he starts to sing.

 

_Wake up, say good morning to_

_That sleepy person lying next to you_

_If there's no one there then there's no one there_

_But at least the war is over_

 

Cuphead’s feet move without prompting. He realizes he’s walking and opening the door. He’s not scared of what’s happening. A piano is playing his favorite song and he wants to be close to Elder Kettle.

 

_It's us, yes, we're back again_

_Here to see you through 'til the day's end_

_And if the night comes and the night will come_

_Well at least the war is over_

 

Cuphead found himself in the main area of the Casino. King Dice can sing? He walks across the stage listening.

 

_Lift your head and look out the window_

_Stay that way for the rest of the day and watch the time go_

_Listen, the birds sing, listen, the bells ring_

_All the living are dead and the dead are all living_

_The war is over and we are beginning_

 

He finds a microphone on the stage. He turns it on and starts to sing with King Dice. Mysteriously, the drums in the corner start playing.

 

_She's gone, she left before you woke_

_As you ate last night, neither of you spoke_

_Dishes, TV, bed, the dark was filled with dread_

_But at least the war is over_

 

Dice smiles in contentment as he feels Cuphead sit beside him.

 

_We won or we think we did_

_When you went away you were just a kid_

_And if you lost it all and you lost it_

_Well, we'll still be there when your war is over_

 

Dice’s smile gets bigger as he remembers the clubhouse. The laughter, the songs, the advice, and the love was something he missed.

 

_Lift your head and look out the window_

_Stay that way for the rest of the day and watch the time go_

_Listen, the birds sing, listen, the bells ring_

_All the living are dead and the dead are all living_

_The war is over, we are beginning_

 

My beloved bud...

 

_Here it comes, here comes the first step_

_Here it comes, here comes the first step_

_It starts up in our bedroom after the war_

_It starts up in our bedroom after the war, after the war_

 

_After the war, after the war, after the war_

_After the war, after the war, after the war_

 

_Here it comes, here comes the first step_

_Here it comes, here comes the first step_

_After the war_

 

Cuphead suddenly hugs King Dice tightly. King Dice hugs back and patted him gently on the back.

 

“Mr. King Dice, why are you ‘elping me?”, asked Cuphead.

 

“What happened to you was mighty fucked up today. I also needed to clear my head as well and the music is a good outlet”, explained King Dice in a calm tone. Cuphead nods and smiled softly.

 

“Thank you for clearing your ‘ead, Mr. Dice”, said Cuphead as his eyes drooped closed. Within a few seconds, his snoring was heard and Dice smiled softly. He carried Cuphead to his bed again, saw Mugbutt snoring as well and went to his room. He opened up a drawer and pulled a card out of a deck. Cagney Carnation’s SoulCard...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'My beloved bud...'  
> Dice, who are you talking about?


	6. Flowerbud

_Loud. The first thought when he walked into the Casino. It was loud. The teenage carnation wasn't use to loud noises since Isle One was relatively quiet. The band on stage was playing swing music and it filled the entire casino. He started snapping his fingers in time with the music._

 

_As he continued to walk through the Casino, he stopped at the buffet and looked at it in disgust. So much meat and fatty foods but no flowers or vegetables. At the thought of flowers, his stomach grumbled and Cagney was reminded of the reason he was here. The soil on his pa’s land was becoming tainted by an unknown source. Flowers are good at purifying soil but this blight was worse than any that came before it._

 

_He spotted Purple Pip, a childhood nickname for Dice, sitting with his so-called “family”. He growled low in his throat in malice of the word. As he walked over, Dice got up instantly and hugged his boyfriend. Cagney chuckled but didn’t hug back. Dice hugged him tighter and only then did he hug back._

 

_“Four”, Dice said before letting go. Cagney let go immediately and looked at his boyfriend. Dice looked him in the eyes and for a second, Cagney swore he saw a green flash in his black pupils._

 

_“Timothy. Back. Knock”, instructed Dice. Cagney was beyond worried now._

 

_“Pip, What happened? Ah wanna know if you’re okay”, he said in a worried tone._

 

_“I’m never okay, Cags”, was the die’s sad reply._

 

_Cagney was furious as the die was called back to the table. He vowed he would never hurt Dice for as long as he lived. Dice grabbed his right hand and put something in it before he forced himself to go back to the table._

 

_Cagney looked in his hand and saw colorful seeds. His eyes bright and hopeful, he waved to his boyfriend and Dice waved shyly back before heading out of the Casino._

 

_Cagney’s stomach grumbled once again and he headed for the back of the Casino. He dodged creatures left and right and finally arrived at the office door. He knocked and seconds later came the reply, “Who is it?”_

 

_“Ah’m with Dice, sir. Ah need a favor if ya please”, said Cagney in a determined tone._

 

_“Come in”, came the simple reply._

 

_Cagney opened the door with his left hand and sat on the chair. The moment he stepped into the office, he felt cold. He couldn’t describe what this cold felt like. Cold itself was the wrong word. There were no words to describe it that he knew of anyway._

 

_“What’s yer name kid?”, asked Timothy._

 

_“Cagney Carnation, sir. If ya don’t mind, my family needs yer help. A blight has taken over our soil and we’re running out of food. The blight is too strong to purify ourselves, so my family sent me to get help from ya”, explained Cagney in a hurried tone._

 

_“What do you flowers eat?”, asked Timothy._

 

_“Dirt, some worms, nuts, leaves and of course non-sentient flow-“, Cagney explained before his stomach grumbled for the third time since entering the Casino. He leaned on the desk in pain and couldn’t help but groan._

 

_“We can’t do this no more. Please, I don’t want money or power from ya. I just want a way to purify the blight successfully”, pleaded Cagney pitifully._

 

_“Wait here, kid”, Timothy said as he teleported out of the room._

 

_2 minutes later, Cagney ate 1/6th of the bucket of food he was given from Timothy. Cagney put the bucket on the floor beside him as Timothy explained the powers he would receive. He would be able to purify the blight and save his family from starvation for his soul. Cagney signed the contract instantly._

 

_Timothy told him to wait until the next day to try out his advanced purification powers. Cagney agreed and headed home. His family asked him about Timothy, the Casino and what help he got. He told them everything but Purple Pip. He was going to see his boyfriend tomorrow, anyway._

 

_The next day, Cagney got up bright and early to test out his advanced purification powers. He carefully took a shovelful and put it into a brown clay pot. He pulled on two pairs of gloves and slowly sank his hand into the pot. When his gloved hand was submerged to his wrist, he thought of family, fun, and friends._

 

_After about 30 seconds, he looked down and was amazed! The soil wasn’t tainted at all. Now for the real test. He took one of the seeds Purple Pip gave him and put it in the pot. He watered it and set it down in the sun. He then started on his other chores._

 

_When midday came around, he was beat down tired but he went to Roots Can Result in Calm Happiness or Grand Deals’ meeting place. All of his friends are proud of him and all of them are relatively okay. The meeting ends and everyone parts ways._

 

_He and Purple Pip stay behind for a few minutes. Dice explains what happened the past week as Cagney holds him tightly. Cagney and Dice share two kisses and leave for their houses._

 

_By the end of the day, his family had food. His boyfriend was relatively happy. He finally took off his gloves and his eyes widened in fear. Up to his wrists was green turned black stem and yellow to red thorns. He called Dice and asked him about it._

 

_“Flowerbud, you’re purifying it by absorbing it into you”, said Dice worriedly._

 

_“Pip, is there any way Ah can fix this without reversing the soil?”, asked Cagney._

 

_“Not that I know of. I’ll keep looking in my books, okay? Please be careful in the meantime. Don’t lose hope!”, said Dice._

 

_“My family needs food, Pip. Ah don’t have time to be careful”, insisted Cagney._

 

_“You’re the only good thing in my life, Flowerbud. I don’t wanna lose you”, muttered Dice._

 

_Cagney’s petals wilted a little at that statement and after a few seconds of silence he said, “You ain’t losing me now okay?”_

 

_“My beloved bud”, sweetly says Dice._

 

_“My darling die”, sweetly says Cagney._

 

_They both hang up at the same time and Cagney falls into a restless sleep._

 

_As the months went on, Cagney’s stem started turning black more until his entire stem was black. His red thorns were bigger and sharper than ever. That wasn’t the worst thing to happen to him though._

 

_In the past, he could keep his anger inside but now it enveloped him. He snapped at his boyfriend for “burdening him with his stupid issues”. He was always irritated and ready to fight._

 

_When his friends and family voiced their concern, he always said, “Y’all think Ah give a dying flower’s bud? Ah ain’t burning in lava or fire, so Ah’m happy!”_

 

_Flowerbud was turning into a monster, like Pip’s parents..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cagney had a reason to go to the Casino.  
> I wonder what the reasons are for the other debtors.


	7. Understanding

**18:00**

Mugman was quiet as he proceeded through the Casino. Five rounds through the damn hellhole and no sign of the debtors anywhere. He stopped at the entrance for the seventh time that day and thought back to the route to Timothy’s office. He smiled evilly as he turned around and made his way to the demon’s office. He documented every turn, every landmark and room he passed by and when he arrived, he had a mental map of all the places he had been through and passed.

“Come in, Mugman”, called the demon. Mugman stepped inside and closed the door behind him, crossing his arms and tapping his left foot in annoyance. Timothy looked at him with amusement and Mugman bared his shark-like teeth. A low growl came from his throat as he steps forward, stands up tall and asks him in a threatening tone, “Where are the debtors, Mr. Timothy?”

Timothy chuckles softly and pulls out a card. Mugman stiffened at the card. It wasn’t a normal card. It was his SoulCard. Timothy grins evilly and traps the card underneath his claws.

“All the debtors, you, Cuphead and my workers all have SoulCards. I needed the contracts so I could turn them into the SoulCards. Ya should’ve kept yer brother in check”, explained the elder demon.

Mugman growls and said in a dangerous tone, “Cuphead is a self-centered cup who thinks of nothing but himself!”

Timothy teleports behind him and gets elbowed in the gut. He trips him and pinned him to the floor. His right foot is the floor and his left foot is positioned in front of Timothy’s private area.

“You will never have children if you don’t answer my questions”, threatened Mugman.

Timothy grins and asks, “What questions do you want to be answered?”

“First, why are you grinning? Secondly, if you needed the contracts, why didn’t you, Mr. King Dice or the workers just get the contracts? Thirdly, what makes you think I can control Cuphead? Finally, why did you murder Elder Kettle?!”, asked Mugman.

“First, I find ya amusing and I haven’t been pinned down by a smaller demon in a long while. Secondly, we are lazy asses who want to be bossy and order creatures 'round. Thirdly, you can now. Finally, he was you and Cuphead’s escape. I couldn’t let ya back out of a deal and I wanted ya to see how far I would go”, Timothy added sinisterly, “Murdering him was yer fault, anyway.”

Mugman’s lemonade filled mug began to boil instantly and he glared at Timothy with hatred. His claws sharpened and he dragged them lightly on Timothy’s chest. Timothy suddenly grabbed Mugman’s wrists and laid them on the floor gently. Mugman was shocked that a demon could that gentle.

“Don’t do that again. Ever again. I don’t want to lose control on ya”, said Timothy threateningly.

“Pfft! Like killing my grandfather in front of me wasn’t a loss of control! You’re fucking crazy!”, explained Mugman.

“I knew what I was doing! I wasn’t going crazy! When I hurt someone, I don’t blackout! Hurting creatures is fun but I’m tame compared to some demons downstairs! Cuphead is one tragedy from going insane! The only thing you had to say was yes! Even Dice wanted you to say it! We are dangerous! Everyone who works here is dangerous! You and Cuphead are lucky to have an ok childhood! Dice was beaten and shamed by his parents and Cagney’s family was starving. Hilda couldn’t walk and Grim was bullied into constant anxiety. Mr. Wheezy can’t leave The Casino in fear of gangs and Hocus can barely function with medication. So yeah! Both of you are incredibly lucky. Now get the fuck off me!!”, Timothy explained in a pissed off tone.

Mugman shakily got up and leaned on the door for support. A cold sweat had settled on him and he was panting heavily. His pupils were gone as he processed all the information. He didn’t notice when Timothy got up but he asked, “What happened to you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timothy's life? No one has ever asked.


	8. Agony Of Childhood

**18:04**

 

Timothy goes out of the door and Mugman follows closely. Timothy sighs and starts with, “When I was human...

 

_My biological mom and dad were mob bosses and casinos were their main form of income. They never told me what they did but they were gone a lot. As a result, I was bored as a child and since I never had siblings, I went to school, did double the amount of homework and got transferred two grades above my grade level. I was curious about everything. Science, writing, history, and math to name the basics. My parents loved how smart I was but hated that I kept asking them questions. When I was ten, I began asking about their work more often. On a tense weekend, they took me to their main Casino and showed me around. I was surprised by how much they did on a daily basis. A cheater was brought to their attention._

 

_My dad pulled a metallic thing out of his back pocket which I soon found out was a gun. The one thing I was never interested in was weapons of any kind. I asked what he was going to do with it. He smirked evilly at me and taught me how to hold it. He showed me the safety and the trigger. He put in 12 rounds. He never took his eyes off the cheater as he taught me. He told me to aim it. I aimed for the one place where the cheater would die in one shot. The head. My hands were shaking and the cheater kept trying to get me to ‘Have Mercy, kid!’. I flinched as I took the shot._

 

_My parents were so proud of me and we got ice cream. They gave me attention for the first time in a long time. I wasn’t happy though. I was scared of what I had done. It hurt my soul to know that a cheater was granted death by my own hands. Two weeks passed and mom began dropping broken electronics in front of my door. She knew I was having a hard time and she gave me something to do in my free time. Fix broken things. When I was 12, I started fixing phones and electric systems at other people’s houses for decent money. By the end of two weeks, I had earned $600 and was able to pay my own phone bill. I was proud of myself and most importantly, I was happy._

 

That’s all I’ll tell you, for now, Mugman”, said Timothy with a grin. Mugman looked at him with empathy.

 

“Mister Timothy, why you run a Casino now?”, asked Mugman.

 

“Casinos, in my opinion, are good for helping people find themselves. I also see them as a refuge for creatures who want to get away from life. King Dice is more confident now than he ever was in his childhood. I am biased as all living hell though because of my childhood”, explained Timothy.

 

Mugman nodded and Timothy looked betrayed.

 

“How dare you agree with me!”, Timothy said in a joking way.

 

Mugman chuckled and replied, “You just told me about your childhood and you expect me not to agree with your statements? Either I’m crazy or you’re in denial!”

 

“You’re crazy then because there ain’t no way in hell I’m in denial!”, said Timothy.

 

“You’re in denial right now!”, explains Mugs.

 

“I’ll show you in denial!”, Timothy said as he started tickling Mugman’s belly. Mugman bursts out laughing as Timothy motorboats his belly.

 

“Stop! Please stop, Mister Timothy!”, Mugman stammers out through laughter.

 

“So you’re ticklish, eh?”, asked Timothy.

 

“No! Of course not! Please stop!”, says Mugman as he tries to get up. Timothy starts tickling him again.

 

“Why are you laughing then?”, asked the elder demon, “Are you lying to your boss, Mugman?”

 

“No, Mister Timothy! I would never lie to you!”, says Mugman through more laughter.

 

“If you don’t answer your boss truthfully, then I’ll keep tickling you!”, explained Timothy.

 

“Ok fine! I was in denial! I’m ticklish! Super ticklish! Will you stop now? Please?”, pleads Mugman through tears.

 

“Good mug”, Timothy said as he stopped tickling immediately. Mugman hugged Timothy tightly and Timothy flinched before slowly hugging him back.

 

“Am I hurting you, Mister Timothy?”, asked the demon mug.

 

“No! I mean, not at all. I’m just not used to hugs all that often”, said Timothy. Mugman holds him more loosely and Timothy smiles softly.

 

**Meanwhile**

 

Behind a wall, Cagney and Dice are holding hands, looking at the so-called enemies hugging one another. Cagney smirks as Dice puts a soundproof barrier around them.

 

“How much you wanna bet they fall in love?”, asked Dice.

 

“How much you wanna bet they kill each other?”, asked Cagney in a cocky tone of voice.

 

“Cagney! The hell?”, said Dice in a shocked tone.

 

“50 dollaras. Timothy is too damaged and Mugs is fourteen! No fucking way!”, explained Cagney.

 

“100 dollaras. Timothy may be damaged but he’s not that dumb to kill a bright boy like him”, countered Dice.

 

They shook hands on it.

“Dada! Daddy!”, said a small flower in between them. Her four large purple petals with each card suit on them told everyone whose kid she was. Dice looked at her as she raised her leaves into the air. Cagney smiled softly and picked her up by her plant pot. She nuzzled his arm and Dice smiled fondly.

 

“Why we in bubble, Daddy?”, Deliah asked Cagney.

 

“We don’t want anyone to know we’re here, Bud”, said Cagney.

 

“It’s like Hide and Seek. Instead of seeking, we stay hidden until we need to leave”, explained Dice.

 

The little flower tilted her head to the side and one of her petals flopped on her face. She instantly tilted her head back and looked annoyed.

 

“Ah wanna be big! Ah tried of having big petals! Ah wanna be big now, Dada!”, Deliah pouted.

 

“Deliah, getting big takes time. Me and Daddy weren’t always big. We used to be tiny just like you. It took time to get big for us too”, explained Dice.

 

“Why does it take so long?”, questioned Deliah.

 

“Our bodies take time to develop, flowersuit. It won’t take as long as you think, I promise”, said Dice as he patted her head.

 

“Are ya hungry, Deliah? Ah can get some daisies for ya”, asked Cagney.

 

“Yes, please! So Ah can get big faster!”, Deliah says determination running through her.

 

Cagney and Dice shake their heads in unison. The soundproof barrier falls and they walk past the hugging enemies. Mug jolts out of the hug quickly and storms off while screaming, “WHAT THE FUCK, BOSS!!”

 

Timothy stares at Mugman as he leaves. He is mad that he stormed off so quickly. He looks at Dice and Cagney and glares at them. Cagney smirks evilly at Timothy. Timothy glares at Dice and gets up from the floor saying, “Why is the weed out of his card?”

 

“I wanted to see my husband. That’s why”, said Dice simply.

 

“Put his ass back. I’m not dealing with debtors running around. Not today anyway”, ordered Timothy.

 

“No”, replied Dice.

 

“What?”, asked Timothy.

 

“Flowerbud, take Deliah into our room please”, said Dice to Cagney.

 

Cagney took Deliah out of Dice’s arms and kissed Dice square on the lips, glaring at Timothy. Dice kissed back and Cagney was off to the back of the Casino.

 

Dice turned his attention back to Timothy. Dice said, “The cups you recruited killed him. I wanted to spend time with him since he’s been on the run since he was a teenager. I wouldn’t kill him because I loved him. You wouldn’t kill him because you didn’t want to lose me. So no. He’s not going back in the card yet.”

 

Timothy smirks evilly as he circles Dice.

 

“When somebody needs help in Inkwell, they come to me. I can fix most problems but at a cost. I don’t help creatures. I make deals with ‘em. If I recall correctly, you are the one who suggested that your then-boyfriend should come to me. He didn’t have a choice either way but you lead him to me”, Timothy got in Dice’s face, his tail sharp from intimidation, “Isn’t that right, Dice?”

 

Timothy’s scleras glow intensely as Dice backs up slowly.

 

“Your poor Flowerbud was on the brink of death so you sent him to me. You love him so much. It’s cute really that even despite your best efforts, he still turned into a demon. Remember Dice, when you make your soul part of a deal, your soul belongs to them. No matter how far you run, the creature will catch you and take what is rightfully theirs.”

 

Timothy’s scleras glow brighter. Dice stops at the wall and tries to tear his eyes away.

 

“You belonged to me the moment you came in my Casino. Don’t you ever forget who saved you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Timothy's life sucks  
> 2\. Dice and Cagney is the best ship ever!  
> 3\. Deliah is adorable!  
> 4\. Timothy chill!


	9. A Helping Cup

**18:32**

 

King Dice tore his eyes away at the last second. Tears streamed down his face, blinding his enraged vision. His gloves tearing at his claws emerging. He growled low and his crown pupils glowed a sleek emerald green. He chuckled darkly as he looked at Mr. Timothy with hatred.

 

“You own my physical soul. My personality, my feelings, and my beliefs are my own. That’s how this works! Yeah, you saved me from my mentally abusive parents. I thank you for that, I truly do. But can you be any more manipulative?!”, explained King Dice.

 

Cuphead watched from the shadows, blut claws digging into his gloves. He was mad at Mr. Timothy for what he said.

 

“Those boys didn’t deserve to watch their grandpa die, Timothy! They are reckless but they’re still good kids! Let them go home! Let them think it over! You don’t have power over everything! Their souls-Ugh!”, King Dice yells at Timothy before getting punched on the right side of his face. He catches himself on the wall and looks at Timothy with a burning hatred.

 

Cuphead doesn’t catch what Mr. Timothy told King Dice. He only saw King Dice’s eyes open wide. Fresh tears rolled down his face. Cuphead was done.

 

“Leave Mr. King Dice alone! ‘E ain’t done not’ing wrong! Mercy please!”, said Cuphead urgently.

 

“Like you did with the debtors?”, Timothy said showing a gold tooth as he turned to face Cuphead. Cuphead found Timothy’s eyes had turned into mirrors and he saw all the dead debtors reflected in them. Cuphead backed up slowly as he tried to look away.

 

“T’ere ain’t no excuse for all t’e pain I caused. I will do everyt’ing in my power to make it as right as I can. I have no brother and my grandpa is dead. I made our lives a living hell and now we are stuck here as workers ‘til we die”, Cuphead says calmly with tears streaming out of his right eye as he smiles a sad smile, “As long as Mugman is okay, I’ll live with my regrets for the rest of my life.”

 

Timothy’s eyes revert back to normal and he backs away from Cuphead slightly. He looks puzzled.

 

“How can you care so much about a person that hates your guts?”, Mr. Timothy asked.

 

“‘E may not be my brot’er anymore but ‘e foug’t wit’ me. Even t’oug’ ‘e ‘ates me, ‘e never left me to fig’t alone. I won’t leave ‘im eit’er”, Cuphead explained before walking to King Dice. He was still crying and now was slumped on the floor. Cuphead grabbed one of his hands in a slightly tight grip and pulled him up on his feet. King Dice looked at him with confusion. Cuphead walked, with his boss in tow, to the back of the Casino. He walked until he found a door that had a golden plaque on it.

 

The golden plaque is inscribed in perfect cursive ‘King Dice’. Cuphead smiles softly at the lined paper taped to it. In neat orange crayon, it read ‘Cagney’. In messy purple and orange, alternating crayon it read ‘Deliah’. He knocked on the door.

 

“Who is it?”, Cagney asked. He sounded irritated.

 

“I broug’t Mr. King Dice. I t’ink ‘e needs some love from ‘is two favorite people!”, Cuphead called through the door. 

 

The door flung open and almost broke off its hinges from the force. Cagney pushes past Cuphead, rushed to King and hugged him tight, kissing him hard. Dice held on weakly to him and kisses him with some effort.

 

“My darling die”, Cagney said while examining his husband’s body carefully.

 

“I’m fine, Cagney”, Dice said softly while trying to get to the door.

 

“What am Ah?”, Cagney asked while holding Dice’s left hand.

 

“My husband and my beloved bud”, replied Dice as he nuzzled Cagney’s petals. Cuphead looked at them with fondness. He thought they were cute together.

 

“Daddy can Ah come out now?”, asked Deliah as she hopped to the edge of the doorway.

 

“Come here, Flowersuit”, said Dice as he held out his arm as a comforting gesture.

 

Deliah hopped closer to her dads but tripped on her pot. Cuphead reached his arm out and caught her in light red magick surrounding her. The aura flickered a few times before being replaced by a light purple aura. King smiled at Cuphead and thanked him as he hovered his daughter over to Cagney.

 

“Of course, Mr. King Dice. I didn’t want ‘er pot to break”, replied Cuphead. He was proud of himself. The little flower beamed at him and he smiled softly.

 

Cuphead turned a corner as he walked away from the family. He needed some time alone. He walked to the main area of the Casino and set up the pool tables first. He didn’t act like he watched anything but, in reality, he was observant in his own right. If it was interesting, he wanted to watch it. He accidentally stirred up trouble when he got too involved. Mugman would have to pull him out of idiocy constantly. Cuphead chuckled sadly at remembering the many fiascos his former brother had to bribe or kiss up to an asshole to get him out of some dumb shit. He didn’t notice the light gray smoke following him until it started to talk.


	10. You Think You Know Me?!

**18:42**

 

“What are doing here, Cupfuck?”, asked the smoke in a threatening tone. The smoke sounded hoarse, wheezy and deep. Cuphead couldn’t place who it sounded like.

 

“We’re supposed to work for Mr. Timothy, sir”, replied Cuphead as he continued to set up.

 

He heard a hoarse laugh come out the smoke. Cuphead knew who it was now.

 

“What did you fuck up this time, Cupfuck?”, asked Mr. Wheezy in a know it all tone.

 

Cuphead stopped what he was doing instantly but didn’t turn around. His left hand was glowing a slight orange and he was gripping the 1st pool ball in a death grip.

 

“I didn’t-“, Cuphead started but was interrupted by Mr. Wheezy.

 

“You’re always getting into things that don’t concern you. Guess who always comes to save you? Mugman!”, Mr. Wheezy said while forming his physical body behind Cuphead. Cuphead stayed where he was and kept his death grip on the ball. Cuphead’s hand glowed brighter and he bared his sharp teeth. He knew Wheezy wasn’t lying. He just admitted he was a piece of shit not 30 minutes ago. He didn’t-

 

“How does it feel to be a hellion? Your brother is one too right? Such a shame that sweet kid got turned into what you were supposed to be at birth”, Mr. Wheezy said with an evil smirk. Cuphead was shaking violently. His porcelain clinking could be heard on the other side of the Casino.

 

“Why are you mad? You shouldn’t be surprised that you are what you are now. You always were evil inside. Now it just shows on the outside”, Mr. Wheezy said before he felt heavy.

 

Cuphead held his soul in a black aura from his left hand. He moved in front of Wheezy and raised his glowing right hand. The ball was still in a death grip.

 

“I’m not evil. I never was and if I ever become evil, I ‘ope to be s’ot dead. I ‘ave no brot’er or grandpa. I’ve been disowned by Mugman and my grandpa killed in front of my eyes. I don’t care if you ‘ate me. I am paying my debt tenfold and so is Mugman. The one t’ing I won’t tolerate is”, Cuphead says in a quiet threatening voice as the ball turned to dust as he crushed it in a fist.

 

“Someone t’inking t’ey know me from a few encounters, gossiping or bot’ at the same time. You t’ink you know me?”, Cuphead says as he raises his head to meet the cigars eyes. His diamond pupil has disappeared and his heart pupil is pulsing with orange and yellow magick. The wide smile on his face was replaced with a snarl. A low growl came out of his throat.

 

“You don’t know anyt’ing about me! Try talking to me like I’m not a defective snake and I may consider being nice in return!! Go suck your own dick, fucker!! I’m definitely not doing it for you!!!”, yelled Cuphead in rage as the ball regenerated in his hand. The auras around Wheezy’s soul and the pool ball vanished. He set it softly on the pool table and walked away from the shocked cigar. 

 

“Cupfuck doesn’t put up with shit, does he?”, said King Dice behind Wheezy.

 

Wheezy winced when he heard his superior’s disapproval of his actions.

 

“No he doesn’t boss”, he said before walking to Timothy’s office.


End file.
